Lone George died - the most famous turtle in the world. The last Abingdon ivory turtle died Lone George was a representative of Galapagos Turtles
12.07.2012 - 15:55
In the summer of 2012, one of the subspecies of the turtles - the Abingdon ivory turtle - from the Red Book moved to the "Black" list - the list of animals, forever disappeared from our planet. Lonely George this turtle was called in honor of the American actor George Gobel, of course, not because of the external similarity - just the actor was a false bachelor, and the turtle, to the greatest grief of zoologists, possessed the same tendency ...
Shorter bachelor
The latest representative of the fondness of the subspecies was now lonely George - 88-kilogram turtle, 1 m 80 cm long, discovered by Hungarian natural scientists on the small island of Pinta (North of the Galapagos Archipelago) in 1972. For one hundred years, before that, almost all Abingdon Turtles were exterminated by the vigilants and fishermen - this instance survived a miracle.
As you did not try to choose a couple with a lonely George from Pint Island - nothing worked. And on June 24, 2012, he died at the age of not then 70, not the 170 years, (the exact number of researchers could not determine) and not leaving the offspring.
George became a celebrity long before his death. Almost immediately after the researchers discovered him, he was transported to the Galapagos Islands National Park, he cared for him, fed and protected. Tens of thousands of tourists came to the unique turtle, among which there were such famous people like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Prince Charles. Writer Henry Nichols even wrote a book about her: "Lonely George: the life and love of the most famous turtle in the world."
Cynicism gourmet
It is possible that now the only places where animals can at least somehow survive will remain carefully protected reserves and national parks. In any other place, death threatens with wild fauna representatives. This is especially true of completely defenseless turtles. The fact is that the meat of these reptiles is highly appreciated by gourmets, and in many countries is considered a delicacy.
The worst thing in the extermination of the turtles, and other animals is that a person who cleaned his whims, can not do without cruelty. One traveler with disgust describes a picture seen in one of the southern markets: "Buyers are likely to want to receive meat if possible, fresh or sellers do not want to give them a job to kill the animal, so they simply separate in the living turtle chest armor and cut out, if desired Buyer, specified piece of meat from the body of the victim. European in horror sees at the same time, as an explosive animal turns through his eyes, slowly opens and closes his mouth and how the heart beats, which requires usually the last. " In theory, after such a spectacle in the throat, even a very tasty cooked piece of black meat, but the local gourmets does not confuse it.
As already mentioned, a special "contribution" in the extermination of the turtles made fishermen. The sailors cynically called them "alive canned foods" for the fact that Reptiles, being caught, could live for months in the thrum of the ship without water and food, waiting for the moment when they prepare and served on the table. Back in the XVI century, the Galapagos Turtles had about a quarter of a million individuals. By 1970, there were no more than three thousand. Judging by the records of ship journals, only 79 whaling vessels for 36 years (in the middle of the XIX century) were taken from the archipelago more than 10 thousand reptiles.
There is information that at the beginning of the XVIII century on one of the islands, about 40,000 individuals of one of the skulls inhabited there were beaten ... on the feed of pigs.
Hunting for offspring
Under the threat of disappearance there are not only land, but also sea turtles. Submitting to the whims of gourmets, "miners" hunt both behind the reptiles themselves and for their not yet born offspring.
One sea turtle postpones about 100 eggs per year. For his masonry, females dig small pits in the sand of once deserted beaches. But the local population is well aware of the places of permanent masonry, and each season begins the ruthless hunt, on the turtles and on their eggs. Production market extraction is extremely voracious.
Mexicans, for example, believe that the balls of eggs increase the male potency and, despite the fact that many years have been fighting the poachers for many years, all street merchants Mexico know where you can get a delicacy for a real macho. In fact, the uncontrolled hunt for a turtle offspring, in the end, led to the fact that only one turtle from four thousand has a chance to achieve sexual maturity.
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Events
Staff Galapagos National Park In Ecuador, reported that Lonely George , Giant turtle, which, according to scientists, the last representative of his species, died at the age of about 100 years.
Official representatives of the park reported that after the opening, the cause of the death of this beast would be clear. Lonely George was known as a unique and only creature, since he did not leave behind the offspring. Several decades, scientists unsuccessfully tried to cross lonely George with representatives of close subspecies of the turtles of the Galapagos Islands.
The turtle was found dead employee of the park Fausto Llerenawho cared for the animal for the last 40 years.
Although the exact age of lonely George was not known, scientists suggest that he was about a hundred, and he was considered a rather young representative of his species, since these turtles lived to 200 years.
Lonely George found a Hungarian researcher at the Galapagos Island of Pint in 1972. Nature Protection Specialists say that Chelonoidis Nigra Abingdoni.To which he belonged, will now be considered extinct.
Lone George was a member of the program for the reproduction of animals of the Galapagos National Park. For 15 years of life, next to the turtle female, which was brought from the Volcano Wolf region, Lone George has matured with her, but her eggs always turned out to be fruitless.
He was also left in the pencils with females of the island of Espanyol, which were genetically closer to him than the female volcano Volf, however George refused to mate with them at all.
Lone George became a symbol of Galapagos Islands and attracted about 180 thousand tourists every year. His body will be concerned and saved in the museum for future generations.
These turtles were quite a lot in the Galapagos Islands until the end of the 19th century, but later they were mercilessly to exterminate sailors for their meat, which led to the disappearance of the species. Also, the turtles were injured due to the loss of habitat after invasive animals were delivered from a large land, for example, goats.
The difference in appearance in the turtles from different Galapagos Islands helped British Charles Darwin, who came to the islands to formulate his famous theory of evolution. Today, about 200 thousand turtles of different species live in Galapagos Islands.
Panciri. kureryrium turtles The defenders of nature protection deliberately spoil, putting the stigma, harmless to animals. By this they make beautiful shells absolutely unrelated in the black market. In the wild, just a couple of hundreds of these animals remained, they are threatened with a serious danger of disappearance.
-- Giant elephant turtle It is necessary to pair in a special way that the male whose weight can reach 400 kilograms, did not destroy the female.
Poachers, which are sometimes called "Mafia's" Mafia ", as well as local residents who love torture meat, threaten rare Madagascar turtles, among whom beakhead, spheres, radiant and planny turtles.
-- Radiant turtles are one of the most beautiful types of turtles on the planet. They dwell only in the forest areas of the southern part of Madagascar.
-- Burmese Turtle Also on the verge of extinction. Sometimes it is called "Star Turtle" due to the unusual coloring of the shell.
-- Egyptian turtle - The smallest of all types of Mediterranean turtles.
Kingdom: Animals (Animalia).
Type: Chordata (Chordata).
Class: Reptile (REPTILIA).
Detachment: Turtles (Testudines).
Family: Turtles land (testudinidae).
Rod: Turtles American land (Chelonoidis).
View: ivory turtle (Chelonoidis Nigra).
Substitution: Ivory Abingdoni Turtle (Chelonoidis Nigra Abingdoni).
Why is listed in the Red Book
Abingdon ivory turtle is one of the most striking examples of the fact that the Red Book is a "live" book. Changes in it occur every day and, perhaps, every hour. Scientists do not always have time to quickly track what is happening and finding a sufficient number of convincing facts. It is obvious that by the time this edition will be published, Abingdon Elephant Turtles will be attributed to the category EX marked with black, - disappeared species. As we said, when working on the description of this subspecies began, the last representative of the rare taxon was still alive. His name was Lone George.
Lonely George discovered on the island of Pint (Abingdon) on December 1, 1972 and took supervision. For the last years of his life, he dwells in the Galapagos National Park of Ecuador, at the station them. Charles Darwin on the island of Santa Cruz. Here, George perfectly looked after and hoped to receive viable offspring from him. Several times unsuccessfully made attempts to cross George with females of other subspecies. Despite the fact that the eggs were postponed, no one hatched from them. Scientists believe that at the time of death, George's age was 90-100 years. Since these reptiles were long-livers in the animal world and almost until the end of their lives retained the ability to reproduce, then during the lifetime of George there was still hope for the successful restoration of the subspecies. Researchers have to carefully check the genetic structure of populations of other related taxa inhabitants in the Galapagos Islands. Real evidence is needed that George in reality was "the last one of its kind."
In the XIX century Abingdon elephant turtles were abundant on the island of Pint. The main reason for the disappearance of the subspecies was that on the island almost all the vegetation was exterminated by the wild goats. As a result, the turtles have no food resources. Non-robust and medal reptiles were easy prey for poachers.
By the beginning of the 1970s. XX century Only one representative subspecies managed to survive. Scientists, until the latter, hoped to restore the subspecies and return it to the natural habitat. In addition, numerous attempts to adjust the number of goats on the island of Pinta eventually crowned with success, and the island's herbaceous cover was finally restored. Lone George was a symbol of Galapagos Islands and movement in support of the preservation of rare species as a whole. Different celebrities came to visit Lone George, among whom Prince Charles and Hollywood Actress Angelina Jolie.
Where dwells
Abingdon ivory turtle - endemic subspecies, lived exclusively on the uninhabited island of Pinta as part of the Galapagos archipelago.
HOW TO FIND OUT
Abingdon elephant turtles per 100% justified the species name given to them - "Elephants". These were the real giants that sometimes achieved a body mass of 300-350 kg. Their large oshetable Carapaks was painted in a rich gray-brown tone. All turtles, including elephant, ribs and spine, are inseparably merged with Carapaks. Such a system forms powerful protection for the body. Therefore, the myth that the turtle can leave his "house", has no scientific confirmation. The body of the turtles covered dry wrinkled skin. Elephant turtles had a long neck and a relatively small head. The males were almost twice the larger females.
Lifestyle and biology
Being cold-blooded animals, the turtles crawled in the morning wrap at the sun. The dark color of the shell helped absorb more sunlight and better warmer the body. Then the main part of his turtle time was spent in search of food. Moving at an average speed of 0.3 km / h, they systematically examined the territory of the native island, hoping to find fresh, juicy grass to support vitality. Elephant turtles were distinguished by almost underdeveloped hearing, but an excellent sense of smell and good vision.
During the marriage period, the males arranged ritual fights, trying to determine the most important and strong. They pulled the neck, opened their mouths, became in ritual postures. At this time, as well as at the time of mating, males could puff and hiss, trying to express their emotions overwhelming them all possible ways. For eggsset, females went to dry, well-warmed sandy beaches. Sometimes they were required for several days to dug a hole with a depth of about 30 cm. Angle of the rear legs, females of the Abingdon ivory turtle patiently performed complex and serious work. Sex germs in these reptiles depends on the temperature of the medium. At lower temperatures, more males appears, with higher - females. Incubation could last from four to eight months. After the birth of the kids threatened a lot of dangers. First of all, they needed to get to the surface and not become a victim of predatory birds. Sex maturity fell about 20-25 years.
Elephant turtles made a huge contribution to the development of the general theory of evolution. After all, it is them, and more precisely, the external differences in individuals living in different environmental conditions, Charles Darwin noticed during a round-the-world trip to Bigle. The fact is that the size and form of the shell in representatives of different populations of elephant turtles are very different. This made the great scientist seriously think about the effect of the environment on the body.
5 041I dedicate this post to the memory of lonely George, the last representative of the rare subspecies of the shell reptile - Abingdon Ivory Turtle. Lone George died yesterday in the Galapagos National Park, where he lived since 1972.
Sad news. Forever disappeared from the face of the Earth a whole subspecies of a giant ivory turtle. In nature, there are practically no predators for which these reptiles could become prey. Only people were actively destroyed by elephant turtles. Gorky to realize that the true culprit of this tragedy was again Homo Sapience - a reasonable person !!! In the latter, you already start to doubt, analyzing the activities of the genus of human from its origin to this day. Now we have no choice but to melt your own sacrifice.
Lone George was killed in the Galapagos Islands - the last male of a giant ivory turtle at the age of a hundred years.
The most famous turtle died on Galapaghossa (photo: noblebrute.com)
In accordance with the reports of representatives of the Galapagos National Park, Lone George, the last and only representative of the subspecies of the Abingdon Elephant Turtle, died on Sunday, June 24.
This morning, the Park's caretaker came to visit George, but discovered that his body was still, and he did not react to the surrounding reality. His life came to the end, - the head of the Galapagos National Park Edwin Nasha.
George was found on Pint Island in 1972 and with those behind him the glory of the "Symbol" of the Galapagos Islands, located in Ecuador.
Thousands of tourists came to Ecuador to see George (photo: noblepride.com)
Every year thousands of tourists arrived on the island in order to admire the "most famous bachelor in the world."
About George was also written a book - "Lonely George: Life and Love of the most famous turtle in the world." Henry Nichols became the author of the scientific and popular book dedicated to the huge turtle.
Yana Shebalina, Life News Online
01:23, Monday June 25, 2012
http://lifenews.ru/news/95353
And now we have to get acquainted with the "biography" of the ivory turtle. So...
An ivory turtle is a real giant among all the officials of the detachment. This animal today is considered a rare species due to the fact that in due time was the only available food for navigators.
The seafarers of the XXVI-XXVII centuries were told that the unpealing set of elephant turtles was found on the islands of Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, as well as throughout the Galapagos archipelago. They were going to huge herds of 2000 - 3000 animals. The vessels who floated to India always stayed near these islands to stock elephant turtle. At the same time, several hundred animals were loaded on board at once. For 20 to 30 years, many captains collected elephant turtles for sale. As a result, in the early XIX century, elephant turtles remained only at Madagascar and Galapagos Islands. By the way, the Galapagos Islands were in due time called the Turtle, and now the elephant turtle is sometimes called Galapagos.
Among the elephant turtles there are giants that reach 400 kg by weight, and the length of the shell is more than a meter. In nature, there are practically no predators for which these reptiles could become prey. Actively destroyed elephant turtles, perhaps, only people. And for the same reason, they today are forced to protect the significantly reduced in the number of these reptiles.
The absence of dangers to some extent led to the appearance of the ivory turtle. Her shell resembles a saddle and wide open in front. Due to this openness, the ivory turtle is able to regulate the temperature of its body in the hot climate of the Galapagos Islands, where it lives. The males of elephant turtles are noticeably larger than the females and, due to such a magnitude, have always been interesting objects for zoos. But today all subspecies of this animal, which are about 16, are made to the Red Book of IUCN. Interestingly, the ivory turtle can sometimes choose plants, poisonous for other animals. Undoubtedly, this animal can be rightfully called the main attraction of the Galapagos Islands. Another Charles Darwin noted how interesting to observe the behavior of elephant turtles. In particular, he described such an unusual feature of the animal as deafness. Whether the elephant turtles really have a hearing problem, the scientist did not explain, but he said that the steps of a man who met the turtle and going after her, the animal would not hear and not frighten until the pursuit falls in the field of her visibility.
Other names
CHELONOIDIS ELEPHANT OPUS - the name of the type of ivory turtle formed from the lat. Chelonoidis (genus of land turtles).
Testudo Elephant Opus - the name is formed from the lat. Testudines (Turtle Detach) and Testudinidae (Land Turtle Family).
Geochelone Elephant Opus, Chelonoidis Nigra, Geochelone Nigra, Testudo Nigra - Lat. Names of type in combination with lat. Nigra (black), a sign belonging to predominantly dark color of the ivory turtle shell.
Galápagos Giant Tortoise, Galápagos Tortoise - English. Galapagos turtle.
Galapagos Turtle - another famous name for habitat.
Classification
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordovy
Subtype: vertebrae
Class: Presbysey
Detachment: Turtle
Country: Lowned Turtles
Family: Land Turtles
Rod: American land
Turtles
View: ivory turtle
Substorms: Abingdonii (Abingdon), Becki (Rothschild Turtle), Chathamensis (Chatamskaya), Darvini (Darwin Turtle), Ephippium (Turtle of Pinzon), Duncanensis (Duncanskaya), Galopagoensis (Turtle Charles Island), Guentheri (Gunter Turtle), Hoodensis ( Espanyolskaya), Microphyes (Isabelskaya), Nigrita (black), Phantastica (Turtle Fernandina Island), Porteri (SanTakrus), Vandenburghi (Turtle Vdenburg), Vicina (Cave), Wallacei (Jervisa).
Habitat
Rare, in fact, the disappearing type of elephant turtles today is preserved only at the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Ecuador (South America) and on the territory of the island of Aldab, which is a national park and located in the Indian Ocean. The locality, which inhabit the elephant turtles, is distinguished by hot, dry climates and scanty vegetation. Basically, it is a non-vegetable herbal cover and rare shrubs and trees. You can meet elephant turtles in tropical wide forests, on shrub plains and in savannas, as well as in the lowlands of the Galapagos islands covered with frozen lava. In search of fresh water and affordable vegetation, these reptiles are capable of climbing the winding paths leading to volcanic highlands. The females of elephant turtles prefer sandy lowlands of the coast, because it is more convenient to put eggs to put eggs, and the males are closed high on the mountainside, because the vegetation is magnificent, and the air is wet. By the way, the elephant turtles living in lowlands tend to make long journeys in search of fresh water sources and even to touch them noticeable paths for which this water was then found in their time.
As already mentioned, 16 subspecies of elephant turtles are known, and their habitat is usually limited to some of the islands. A hint about how exactly the subspecies is found in the title. For example, the Abingdon Turtle is found on about. Abingdon (Pinta), mainly in the rocky, uneven terrain, where volcanic rocks overlook the surface. Rothschild turtle chose uneven, shrub-covered northern and western slopes of Volcano Wolf o. Isabel. Chatham elephant turtle is easy to find on northeastern meadows about. Santa Cristobal. Darwin turtle is found on the rocks about. San Salvador at an altitude of 200 to 700 m above sea level. Turtle Pinzon lives on narrow grassy sites of the southwestern slope of the volcano. Gunther's elephant turtles inhabit the Sierra Negro mountain system in the south-east of O.Sabel, but there are also on dry plains with rare cacti and trees. The habitat of the Espanol turtle, respectively, the rocks of the island of Espanyol. Isabelskaya is found within the dry slopes of the Darwin volcano on about. Isabel. The black ivory turtle population settled in the glades about. Santa Cruz and, by the way, is considered the most numerous among all subspecies. The Turtles of the Fernandine Island live, respectively, on its volcanic slopes. Vdenburg's ivory turtle spread not only on the slopes of the Aldero volcano on about. Albemarl, but he also occupied his crater. And finally, the cave elephant turtle chose the Sierra Azul volcano in the south of the victim. Isabel.
Description
Elephant turtles are quite slow animals. During the day they pass no more than 6 km. The females of elephant turtles lay down 10 - 14 eggs in small pits and no more about them do not care.
In the afternoon, elephant turtles are very careful, but at night they do not pay absolutely anything, which is why they seem blind and deaf.
The fact that the ivory turtle is the giant of the striking sizes, we have already mentioned. Its armor can reach 120 cm, and 60 cm is equal to the height. The average weight is 100 kg. And the approximate lifespan is 150 years. However, the name of the ivory turtle is due not only to its value, but also by appearance. To support heavy and massive torso in reptiles, powerful postal legs are adapted, really resembling elephants. Yes, and her skin on protruding limbs protruding from under the shell and neck very much resembles a thick rubber-like elephant epidermis. The top shield of the ivory turtle armor has a special saddot shape - it is low, it lowers and slightly bent up, and in front, on the contrary, highly raised, so that the front legs and the long thin neck of the reptile remain almost unprotected. The males have a longer tail with a clear pattern.
Different subspecies of elephant turtles differ mainly in size and form of the shell. On this basis, scientists classified them into two groups. The smallest inhabitants of elephant turtles live on small arid islands and have longer thin legs. Their shell clearly repeats the shape of the saddle, and the weight is about 25-50 kg. In areas with a more humid climate and elephant turtles larger. They have a high, resembling the dome of the shell. Zoologists suggest that thanks to such a form of carpaks, elephant turtles are easily introduced into any vegetable debrist. On the spinal shield, these reptiles are noticeably highlighted in the form of the polygons located in each other, by which the ages of the parties can be calculated by the age of the animal. The greatest activity of the ivory turtle manifests the day, and at night hides the back of his body in a specially divert for this. Salvation from the heat and insects in the afternoon reptiles finds, drowning in Il or liquid dirt.
Elephant turtles eat plants and drink a lot of water. If there is no water near their pasture, the elephant turtles do not go every day to the aqua, and they spare water in the bladder and consume it as needed.
Since the conditions of accommodation in elephant turtles are not the most favorable, and in nutrition they are quite unpretentious. The greatest part of the diet is vegetable food - leaves of shrubs and grass on volcanic slopes, juicy cacti, replacing water turtles, wood lichens and leaves, low-hanging berries and fruits, water vegetation, algae. The main delicacy for elephant turtles is tomatoes. Upgraded in arid terrain, reptiles can do without water and food for a long time. However, if the ivory turtle finds the source of fresh water, then it will drink it for a long time, tearing in Il on the mel. Among plants that are gladly eating elephant turtles, burning nettle and various spiny shrubs that do not harm them. Animal food for the reptile most often becomes a diverse found Padal.
A lot of navigators told that in the vessel, elephant turtles were sometimes starved until 18 months, and on arrival in the port turned out to be quite healthy and viable. There are cases when elephant turtles lived in captivity for 100-150 years
In the terrarium feed the elephant turtle recommended vegetable food. In general, this giant rarely contains at home, more often it is found in various national parks or zoos. There for an ivory turtle creates a completely balanced diet, mainly vegetable with a small addition of an animal protein.
In order for the mating of elephant turtles successfully, Nature has provided special tricks in the structure of males. In particular, they have a small gauge on the bottom of the shell, allowing you to climb the female shell and hold on it. If the fertilization happened, then the ivory turtle female is preparing for masonry. Every year she is capable of laying eggs into the same in advance of the selected warm and safe place. Sometimes the female will pre-move several nests in different places to then choose from them the most suitable. Looking for a suitable fabul to the islands often make real travel. The number of eggs in the masonry of the ivory turtle is approximately 2-20 pieces each year from November to April. And she postpones them in the prepared nest very carefully, having been hidden using a special enveloping liquid, and then the earth is also careful as carefully. In the nest of turtle eggs will be "matured" a little over six months - from June to December. And the hatched elephant turtles will break the ground and get into the surface on their own.
Take the giant elephant turtle at home because of its huge sizes is not possible. Most often, these reptiles live in various zoos and southern reserves, where spacious enclosures with vegetation and pools are equipped for them. In captivity, elephant turtles are bred specifically in order to increase the number of disappearing. Under the conditions of wildlife under the supervision of people for these reptiles, it is not difficult to create suitable conditions, because most of what they need is the sun, heat and availability of plant food. The most suitable air temperature for the dilution of elephant turtles should be + 28- + 33 degrees Celsius.
And a very small video about an ivory turtle in conclusion
Early in the morning on Sunday, June 24, it died, perhaps the most famous turtle in the world - the Galapagus named Lone George. Together with George from the planet, a whole subspecies of gigantic reptiles disappeared, once in many people inept Galapagos Islands, but exterminated by people for some hundred years.
Prehistory
The first of the numerous islands of the Galapagos archipelago formed about 5-10 million years ago. His "Parent" was the volcano: the material from which the island consists is the frozen lava. Following the first island, the second, third and so on - now the group includes 16 major islands and many small formations. The archipelago is located in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Galapagos Rift - the transverse fault of the earth's crust, which manifests itself with constant emissions of Lava. This volcanically active zone received the name of the Nasca Plateau, and it slowly shifts to the southeast at a speed of about seven centimeters per year. Accordingly, the older islands over time depart, giving way to the young.
Removing from the place of its formation, the islands are slowly covered with vegetation, although rather scarce compared to the mainland regions, located on the same latitude - that is, almost at the equator. But the relative poverty of the plant world with more than paying for its uniqueness. There are practically no sources of fresh water on the islands, and the climate is very cool there, so the ragings to gain a fair amount of fixtures to harsh conditions had to work out on the galapagussas.
Island animals are also noticeably different from their relatives on the "Big Earth" - the overwhelming majority of the species inhabitants are endemic, that is, unique for this place. Having remained on the islands, the four-legged and birds got a sad landscape, a hard climate and often a very meager choice of food, but they got rid of them from countless predators of the mainland.
History
George's ancestors appeared on one of the smallest islands of the Pint Archkala for a very long time. Giant turtles - the length of the spinal shield of their shell reaches one or more meters - there were no natural enemies on the galapaghosa, so they breeded themselves at their pleasure and walked freely on the island, joining the juicy grass. There were so many leisurely covered with thick bone plates that the islands even called in their honor - the Spanish word "GalapaGo" denotes one of the varieties of water turtles.
As long as we were at the top of the island, we fed exclusively with meat turtles. Pryed the thoracic part of the shell with the meat remaining on it is very good, and from the young it turns out an excellent soup. But in general, the turtle meat, my taste, does not constitute anything special.
Island idyll remained unchanged millennia, while in one of the days, which did not differ from others, people appeared on the island. They quickly realized that the turtles were not able to defend themselves from enemies, and since other food on Pintu was not, quickly mastered the preparation of various sickness meat dishes. Sailors hunted not only on adult turtles, but also on the young, from which very gentle soup was obtained.
A little later, people decided to colonize Galapagossa and to make life on the uncomfortable islands more pleasant, brought with them pets. It turned out to be a fatal decision: if the pigs simply pulled out the grass, then the goats eaten her at such a speed that whole family of families died from hunger. There were still dogs who did not dare to attack on the turtles, but they didn't catch anyone who had no suspects of Iguan with great pleasure. Gradually, the gigantic turtles on the island of Pinta met less and less often until all disappeared.
A few more decades have passed, and when it seemed that the island was finally died, the situation suddenly changed to the better. At the neighboring Pints, the islands took place similar processes, and although due to the larger theme of the consequence there were not so catastrophic, the ecologists became obvious that the Galapaghodi should be saved, and urgently. In order to prevent the conversion of a unique nature reserve to a lifeless desert, in 1974, a large-scale program to restore the population of turtles was launched on the archipelago. Scientists also tried to save other endemic animals.
To stop the destruction of the islands, it was necessary, first of all, get rid of goats and other delivered species. In 1959, fishermen brought with them only three herbivores: male and two females. By 1973, more than 30 thousand individuals lived on the island. The extermination of Kozlov demanded on the archipelago demanded from ecologists of mass efforts: I finally manage to cope with this task only in 2009. During the shock stage, more than 80 thousand animals and spent over six million dollars.
Parallel researchers, as they could, restored the number of turtles on the islands. As a result of their efforts, the number of gigantic reptiles increased from 3 thousand in 1974 to 20 thousand today.
The present
But for subspecies Chelonoidis Nigra Abingdoni.To which she belonged to Lone George, history, alas, was finished forever. To the beginning of the program to restore the Galapagos Islands it was believed that C. n. Abingdoni. Forexed, however, in 1972 (according to other data, in 1971), the Hungarian biologist Joseph Vazvolga (Jozsef Vagvolgyi) noticed a characteristic silhouette on Pint Island. The miracle of the preserved turtle was placed in a specially equipped aviary and started searching for suitable George partners.
Since other well-known representatives of the subspecies C. n. Abingdoni. It remained, scientists took the girlfriends for George from the most close groups. As a result, they stopped on two females caught on the neighboring island of Isabella. For the first 15 years of joint residence, George did not show any interest in the ladies, but in 2008 one of the turtles demolished the eggs. Scientists immediately placed them in the incubator, but despite all the thoroughness of sticking, none of the cubs hatched. After a year, one of the companions of George again put the eggs, and again to no avail.
More lonely male did not try to leave offspring - perhaps a non-essential difference between two subspecies for him seemed too big for him. In 2011, two females from the island of Espanyola, belonging to the Paradise, were settled in Wolter George C. n. hoodensis - A more thorough analysis showed that genetically, they are closer to George than the turtles from Isabella. New girlfriends stayed together with rescue up to his death, but George did not wanted to mate with any of them.
The corpse of the last representative once a numerous subspecies C. n. Abingdoni. Detected early in the morning on June 24, the Woller's caretaker, who cared for a turtle for more than 40 years. Judging by the posture, George went to the aqua. The exact cause of the death of the animal is still unknown - in the near future specialists intend to take an autopsy and understand what happened to him. According to the standards of giant turtles, according to those who live for two hundred years, George was still very young - he was hardly strongly over his hundred.
Future
Despite the entire tragedy of what happened, some researchers believe that subspecies C. n. Abingdoni. You can still restore. According to some reports, the giant turtle living in the Prague Zoo belongs to the same as George. Later, DNA analysis denied these assumptions, however, in 2007, scientists discovered animals on Isabella Island, in which there were about half of George genes. In other words, the turtles found were most likely born from the Union C. n. Abingdoni. With a representative of some other subspecies. And it is impossible to exclude that the parent of unusual animals has not yet died, but it means that it is possible to find it.